SoundtrackNet is running a contest for the movie Music & Lyrics. The movie looks like a chick flick, and I’m not really interested in it. But one of the prizes for the grand prize winner is a RED nano ipod, and the contest is free to enter! Enter on Soundtrack.net.
The Oscar Nominees for 2006 were announced today. My favorite categories are always Best Picture and Best Music (Score). So, here they are!
Best Picture Nominees:
I have only seen two of the five, The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine. Both were excellent. I’m rooting for The Departed to win though… it was just all around very well done. Great writing, great acting, great directing, and a very interesting story. It received five nominations in total: Best Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).
Best Music (Score) Nominees:
I have only seen one of these movies, but as my current favorite soundtrack I’m going for Pan’s Labyrinth. Wonderful movie, and wonderful music to accompany it. The melodies are very haunting and beautiful. Pan’s Labyrinth was nominated for six awards: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Makeup, Best Music (Score), and Best Writing (Original Screenplay). I hope it does very well, and I think it has the potential to do so. Check out my Pan’s Labyrinth Review.
One disappointment is that Children of Men was not nominated for Best Picture. Instead it was only nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Children of Men was an incredible movie, and the Cinematography is some of the best I’ve seen. There are some shots which are continuous for at least five minutes at a time. Combined with other techniques, the filming really puts you right there with the characters.
The Oscars will be held on February 27th!
I have put together a list of my top ten most relaxing soundtrack cues. They are individual tracks from various original score soundtracks. Some of these come from soundtracks with many relaxing cues, while others are part of a more diverse score. Piano and string instruments are pretty common here, as well as romantic or tragic themes. If you want some soundtrack music to relax to, these are the cues I recommend.
Soundtrack.net has an article listing their best soundtracks of 2006. Many of the movies I haven’t even seen, and a few of the soundtracks from the year that I enjoyed, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Superman Returns, didn’t make the list. However, I’m glad that they included The Da Vinci Code… it was a very masterful soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. He uses orchestra and choir in that soundtrack to give a reverent and beautiful sound. I haven’t purchased the Lady in the Water soundtrack, but after watching the movie today and seeing it on this list, I am definitely going to get it. Read the full list here. There is also a podcast about soundtracks from 2006.